Cranberry Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita

This sweet + spicy gem is just in time for your Cinco De Mayo celebrations. Because we’re sophisticated, well-rounded adults, I made you a Cranberry Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita. It’s the sophisticated margarita, if you will.

I almost–almost!–forgot about Cinco De Mayo. Lucky for you, my booze cabinet is always stocked with a bottle of tequila, because you just never know. And, thank goodness for my booze hoarding ways, because that bottle to tequila came in handy.

One should never forget a holiday where booze, nachos, salsa, and tacos are the highlight of the day. How this slipped through the cracks, I’ll never know…

Oh, hold the front door. I do, indeed, know exactly how I came to forget one of my very favorite holidays. It has everything to do with Google placing me in a jail cell in the very deepest, darkest depths of the Interweb for a little over a month.

I would give them the virtual middle finger and express a few bitter words if I weren’t concerned about being thrown back in the same desolate, lonely cell again. So, I’m just going to smile, nod, and sip on this Cranberry Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita.

*Smiling… *Nodding.

When I find a flavor combination I love, I tend to stick with it for a bit, re-working and re-mixing the flavors in new and exciting ways. This margarita recipe was inspired by my recent Pineapple Cranberry Mojito recipe, which is hell-a tasty, by the way.

I swapped the rum for some tequila and mint for a few slices of jalapeño. It’s sweet, tart, and slightly spicy. You’re going to love the balance of flavor in this cocktail. If you want to keep with the Mexican theme, you can garnish with a sprig of cilantro rather than mint.

Jalapeno Simple Syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 jalapeño, sliced

Directions:

To make the simple syrup, add sugar, water, and jalapeño slices to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow the mixture to simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Strain and transfer to an airtight container. Syrup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

To make the margarita, add ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously for a few seconds. Divide between two glasses filled with ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint (or cilantro), lime wedge, jalapeno slice, and pineapple wedge.